Child First is an evidence-based, two-generation, home-based mental health intervention that serves young children and their families, helping them heal from the damaging effects of stress and trauma. The approach builds strong, nurturing caregiver-child relationships, promotes adult capacity, and connects families with needed services to increase emotional health and learning success and prevent child abuse and neglect.
Without the buffering effect of strong, nurturing relationships, children can suffer profound, long term damage, permanently altering brain architecture and resulting in decreased learning, behavioral and emotional problems, and poor health extending well into adulthood. This is well documented by the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. The surrounding environments of young children directly impact their development and well-being.
Poverty, trauma, maternal depression, abuse and neglect, and other negative conditions often result in permanent imprints on a young child’s developing brain and can have lifelong effects. Current data illustrates the risks to our most vulnerable children.
10.5 million
Young children under 6 in
low-income families
1 in 4
infants and toddlers are estimated to experience potentially traumatic events.